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hello i am new to forums and would like to ask a question, my skin is VERY VERY sensitive, no matter how i shave and with what i get EXTREME razor burn......my question is, would switching to double edge razor reduce my razor burn or will it stay the same or increase?? thank you.
it may not help instantly but after a few shaves and finding a good blade it will reduce if not eliminate your razor burn. I recomend the Merkur HD and Red Pack Personna blades ... also using a good shaving cream or soap and brush will help
It is worth a try and if you dont like it resale is pretty good on the forums
I have fairly sensitive skin myself. Until I discovered wet shaving, I thought ANY kind of shaving was impossible for me and would just trim with 0 guard with some beard trimmers. Even then, the trimmers would irritate my skin.
I've found good prep is the best defense against irritation. Have to make sure your skin and your beard are really well hydrated before you try to shave. I've tried a few different shave oils, and they help, but the best for me is the Proraso pre/post cream. I'm not a fan of mentholated products but I grin and bear it for this one because the benefit FAR outweighs the temporary discomfort the minty cold cream brings. Also, like erectski said, the right cream or soap can make a huge difference. Find one that gives plenty of cushion and lubrication. Tabac works great for me. It's kinda pricey but it gives me the closest shaves with the least discomfort.
If what you're shaving with now is a cartridge razor with umteen blades, then changing to anything else which only has one edge on your skin would probably help. Also, you might have a sensitivity to something in the canned goos that would be helped by changing to a relatively simple shaving soap with perhaps no scent.Quote:
Originally Posted by c0smit0
thanks for the replies guys, my father has a DE razor running around, i believe it is the feather double edge razor, is that a good razor to try first?? also is it possible to find those soaps and brushes at a retail store rather than online??? i live in nyc, thanks in advance. i also just finished talking to my father and he said that if i use one of those razors it will kill my face... so idk if i should try it or not...
I have shaved with everything under the sun including: roatary electric, foil electric, cartridge, double edge and a straight. The electrics and the cartridge tend to be the most irritating in my opinion. Personally I recommend the double edge or the straight. Of course my face is the exact oposite I could do this job with a broken bear bottle and everything would come out great.
The only way that razor is going to kill your face is if you use really poor technique. Even my first shave with a DE was better than anything I'd had with cart/elec. As far as retail stores, check online for shaving supplies in NYC. If nothing else you can get a tube of C.O. Bigelow at Bath and Bodyworks. It's my 2nd favorite soap/cream. They also have preshave oil there and a pretty decent aftershave balm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by c0smit0
You've got two chances, it either will or it won't.Quote:
Originally Posted by c0smit0
I have to say though, in my brief time participating on these forums, and others, there is a fairly steady flow of people finding DEs and straight razors are actually much easier on their skin. I never had that problem, so I can only speak through vicarious experience.
Certainly give it a go, what have you got to loose? In a few weeks time when you've got over the initial learning curve I would not be surprised if you were as convinced about these old razors as 95% of the people who give them a real go are.
The best thing you can do is read up on the preparation, that's what is going to really help reduce your irritation.
You can fnd Williams at many grocery and drug stores for about $1.50. Inexpensive brushes are carried by many of them as well. Try CVS or some other drug store chain. Also, have you tried a shave balm as an after treatment?Quote:
Originally Posted by c0smit0
What you are saying is true greg but the troubble is that the start up costs for a straight is rather high when compared to some of the other forms of shaving. Perhaps if he looks on ebay he can find a lower cost razor which might help convince him a bit.
yes i am using a nivea after shave balm...like i said i think there's A feather DE razor somewere in the howse so when i find it i am definitely going to give it a go, and i wasn't talking about where to get the blades from, i was talking about where to get the actual razor....probably not gonna find it at a retail store but just asking......i was also looking at the schick injector ones....i might give those a try as well.....but ever since i started to shave i have not seen a irritation free or little irritation shave........Quote:
Originally Posted by leadduck
Uhm, looking on ebay for a straight razor?!? That would be the most expensive option with the lowest chance of getting good results!Quote:
Originally Posted by jbcohen
I am not familiar with the feather de razors, i thought the feather takes single edge blades, which are quite sharp. Look up for a thread 'my shaving journal' from OLD_SCHOOL, he started with a feather. It may be a bit discouraging, but if you want to go that way I'm sure there is some good information there so that you can avoid some mistakes.
If your skin is sensitive you should pay extra attention to the shave-preparation. Yes you can find everything in NYC, but you should do some more research on what products work better for people with sensitive skin. I'm not one of them, but I know the l'occitane soap is very liked by one of my friends with sensitive skin. It's expensive compared to some others, but from my understanding your face is a whole lot more important to you than a $20 soap that will last you a year or more. Williams will probably not irritate your skin, but I don't think it provides very good cushioning and mostrurization.
And yeah, using a single edge on single pass over your face will reduce irritation. you must keep the pressure really low which is possible with these things, while the modern cartridge systems are quite the opposite - you sort of dig them into your face. They're made to be 'safe' and not cut your skin as you do so, but that still causes irritation.
Yeah, I've found that friction is my arch nemesis. Good prep, slick soap, and a sharp blade make a world of difference.Quote:
Originally Posted by gugi
for some reason i always thought that single and double edge would mess your skin up more than the modern razors since they r more sharp and they are easier to cut urself with.....guess i was wrong.
They are sharper than cartridge razors are, however that does not necessarily mean that it will irritate your skin more. A lot of the people that I have heard from that get irritation from cartridge razors get none of that when they use a double edge as irritation tends to be an advent of the Trac II in the early 70s. Don't know a thing about the feather razor so I am not going to talk about it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by c0smit0
Well... When using DE/SE razors instead of having 3-5 blades pull tug on the hair and cut it, you are doing 3 passes with a single blade gradually removing the hair.
I dont know if anyone has mentioned this but...
It might not seem like it helped after the first shave, but after 3 or 4 shaves and you get the technique down and unlearn the old habits from cartridge razors and you learn to make good lather with your shave soap, you shaves will start to get better.
Another thing...many guys say a Feather brand blade is not the best to start with...but the razor may be fine...the Feathers are known to be the sharpests and with improper technique the harshest...
Just to let everyone know that i do not have feather blades...what i have is the razor....anyways i have another question, what are the differences other than looks about the old fashioned single edge razors and the one barbers use today, you know, the ones that you have to break a double edge blade in half and put in in the razor and slide it in....What are the differences and similarities if any? Thanks.